THAT'S HOW LIFE IS
by FRESCAAAA
Summary: A typical story of a love triangle. But will they get pulled into the whirlwind of friends, the eyes of society, lies, and hidden dark pasts, shattering the true meaning of love? AU FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. KENSHIN&KAORU. A little KAORU


**SUMMARY** : Working as a prostitute at the age of 17, Kaoru must struggle school, work, and taking care of her younger brother. One of her customers, Sano seems to take an interest in her, and wants more than a one night stand. Warming up to his advances, she too, seems to care for him as well. But once meeting up with his friend Kenshin, she begins to feel a connection towards him. Each learns that Kaoru is a disillusioned teenager who has lost all faith in the word love. Both must try and attain her heart and feelings she shut long ago. A typical story of a triangle of love, but will the eyes of society, the ones around them, secrets, lies, and dark pasts shatter the true meaning of love? A/U

Summary is bad… but whatever. )

"How about three hundred?"

"Sorry… I only work, if the price is _over_ three hundred. You know that."

"Heh. How about, four hundred? Now I **know**, that's a fair price, for only _one night_. "  
Answering him with her mouth, she dragged him to the bed, continuously flittering her tongue in and out. Reaching downward, she started unzipping his jeans, while he reached down her back, slowly taking off her dress, and unhooking her bra. He took control, and went on top, his legs spreading her own. Already hard from her seductive kisses, he moved down, taking off her underwear and started caressing her, gently licking her more and more, as she began to grow wet. Even she couldn't fake or deny his sensual actions.  
As her customer began the rhythm, going up and down, the urgency in his thrusts, she repeated in her mind,

'_It's just sex. Only sex. Nothing more, nothing less.'_ Saying that phrase over and over after each one who paid to have her body, even she soon believed what she forced herself to say relentlessly.

"Great as usual." And with that, he threw her the four hundred dollar bills, and left. The money fluttered in the air, soon landing on to her naked lap as she tried to force herself to not allow the tears to fall. _'So… I'm worth four hundred… that's my worth huh?'_ Every man she had been with… not only left a scar inside her body, but a scar on her soul. When she first began this job, she was homeless. No where to go… her father killed by getting in trouble with a gang, and her mother had died when she was little. Not that she would have wanted her beloved mother witness what her daughter had become. A prostitute… a whore… a slut…with a 10 year old child she had to take of at the age of 17. Her mother had died giving birth to Yahiko, and so she was a mother to him… since their father had never fully recovered from the loss of his wife. To keep her work a secret from Yahiko, she had to attend school, in order for him to not question why she didn't go. She would so **anything** to keep Yahiko from being hurt. He was the one person in her family that did not give up on her... that did not leave… He had stood by her, and held her hand when times where rough. And she would make sure he would get the bright future he deserved. For… that bright future she once dreamed of… had disappeared all in one night… shattering her life completely.

"Yahikooo. I'm home."

"Hey sis."

"Are you hungry? Want me to make you some noodles?"

"Pffft. I wouldn't eat anything you make me. It'd only get me sick."

"Why you little – " about to finish, she was cut off but Yahiko dragging her to the kitchen, presenting her a table set up. He had made her favorite, omelet rice, with honey green tea.

"I know you can't cook… and you're probably tired from work and going to school… so here." He looked down as he mumbled, not wanting to show his reddened face.  
She smiled, and set herself down on the floor where the woodened table was. He was a loud mouthed, obnoxious kid, with a bad attitude… but at times like this…

Quickly digging into her meal, Yahiko started off to his room, wishing his sister good night.  
_'We may not have much… our family might be shattered… but not completely…' _Kaoru thought, as she smiled, her mouth filled with rice and eggs with soy sauce. _'Thank you, Yahiko.'_

"Hey, Kenshin!"  
Looking up, the red-headed man stopped, and sat down on the cold bench. "Hey Sano. You're late."  
Grinning, his brown-headed spiked friend sat down next to him, and grabbed his shoulder, "Yea, I know. I didn't expect it to take that long… normally it doesn't."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Kenshin got up, and started headed towards the noodle shop. A bowl of steaming hot soba was what he needed.  
"Dude! You have no idea how great this girl is. She is so worth the money I gave her."

Sano started running after him, and continued to chatter away, as he walked shoulder to shoulder with his best friend.

"Sanosuke… you shouldn't treat women like that… let alone pay for a one night stand."

"Oh please. You're only saying that cuz ya never did it. They are so much more experienced, than your average chick off the street."  
Lifting his eyebrow, Kenshin shrugged him off his shoulder, as he placed his numb fingers inside his pockets. "But… this one is different Kenshin… she's just… I don't know…how to explain this…"

"Don't tell me… you fell for one of your entertainers."

"I know… But… it's just… I haven't felt like this, since… Sayo…" His last words brought a silence amongst the two friends, as they continued to walk. Sayo was his first, and only love. Being middle school and high school sweethearts, they had planned on getting married… till…she began to grow ill. She had finally told him that she had tuberculosis and that she only had a few more years to live. Dying at the age of 20, Sayo had left Sano a broken man. Finally shaking off his hurt, his pain, his loneliness, he had recently turned to his normal cheerful self… the bad guy that beat the shit out of anyone that made even a look at him.

The sweet smell of autumn swirled around, as Kaoru walked around the local park, the children playing on the swing sets joyfully laughed as they played. The wind danced around with the leaves, twirling around in an endless circle, that no one else could interfere with. The sun high up in the sky, unable to grasp between ones fingers, showered down, reflecting the colors of autumn. She felt so as ease… walking aimlessly… not having to worry about her daily troubles. School, money, Yahiko… She was in a dream where nothing could penetrate her trance… Till… reality hit in.

"Hey. You're Kaoru right?"

She looked up, and found Sano, the spiky haired man that always picked her at the

whorehouse. "You look so different… I've never really seen you in something… so…less revealing  
than your other outfits before."

"I clean up well huh?" The day ruined, since meeting up with one of her _customers_, reminded herself of her _job_, she past him by, setting herself down on the park bench.

"AHAHA. You look like you ate some bad fish." Poking at her face, she could not resist a smile. "There we go… I knew there was one in that face."

"Sano!" Kenshin had seen his friend walk over to the small park, to meet up with his friend. She was quite pretty… Her hair was held back, with an assortment of different clips, and strands were let out, accenting her face structure. High cheekbones, accompanied by milky white skin, with lapis blue eyes. Except her face expression looked upset, as she sat on the bench, he saw Sano poking at her face, making her laugh. For some reason… she looked so familiar to him… something about her look…

"Ah. Kenshin! Meet my… mm… friend, Kaoru." Shaking his hand, she felt a warm touch, that she didn't seem to want to let go. Looking into his amber eyes, she sensed something so familiar… something that made her feel at home…

Night was approaching, the sun settling itself between the clouds, to enter a sleep. Leaving a ray of beauty, the sky turning red and orange, shining one more time before budding adieu the world good night, as it's brother started getting ready to slowly arise from his slumber and light the night sky. "It's… the color of… blood. A red sky, filled with the blood shed today from people who died…" her voice like a trance, was slow and desolate.

"That's… an interesting philosophy… if you put it that way." Sano slowly said, looking at the two who continued to gaze upward. "Well! Let's go do some karaoke! That oughta cheer us up."

Giggling, Kaoru looked up, and smiled. "Sure. But you pay." And with that, she started walking, going towards the street to cross. "Well, come on!"

The room erupted with laughter, as Kenshin went up, and started singing. His voice deep, it sounded pretty silly singing a children's song. "I'm going to go out for a bit of air." Kaoru said, between giggles. Sano getting up, got up to help, as she started wobbling a bit, having a bit too much to drink.

"Thanks…" Kaoru whispered, leaning against the brick wall of the building. She looked up at him, seeing his own brown eyes looking down on her.

He couldn't resist. He lowered his head, and took her in a sudden, fierce kiss taking her by surprise. She looked to innocent… too perfect. And he had to somehow change that perfect image.

Pushing him away, Kaoru looked at him hard, trying not to flinch as she said those words. "You do know, this costs extra."

"I don't care."  
"…but why? Most complain about my price…or just don't like to deal with my attitude…

Why is it that you just seem to not care?"

"You must know… "

"Obviously I don't."

"I like you! Is it that hard to understand? That hard to see?" He stared hard at her, his hard beating fast. For crying out loud… this was what she did to him… he felt like a high school kid, waiting to see if the girl he liked would said yes to go out with him.

She looked down, then looked away, making sure he couldn't catch her gaze. Her eyes hardened, losing the light it held a moment ago. "So what? It's not like I'm going to jump around in joy **just because you _like_ me**."

"You don't mean that."  
"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't." He grabbed her by her hands, blocking her to run, and roughly kissed her, keeping her from screaming.

Reliving painful memories, the flashbacks continued to repeat over and over, making her scream inside. In pain, both mentally and physically, she tried anyway of escaping. Even her lungs were dry, trying to get little oxygen she could.

"Sano. Let her go."

She heard the cool voice, like ice, breaking the tension into pieces. Letting her go, he turned, and yelled out in a high voice, "Kennnnshinn. My frieeeeeeeend!" And with that, he fell to the ground, hitting it with a thud.

"I'm sorry. He's… drunk." Kenshin said, bending down to his friend. "Yupp… he's out like a log."

Still breathing hard, she couldn't escape the images. She could still feel the pain of them penetrating through her. She could still feel the knife held to her throat, the cool metal pressed tightly against her skin. She could still smell their putrid smell of alcohol, drugs, and semen. Two at a time, then three at a time. Each one laughing… at her pain, her tears, her pleading.

Not knowing where she was, she saw the dark alley instead, and saw the gang of men who had taken a part of her soul advancing towards her. Relinquishing a blood-hurtling scream, she would not stop.


End file.
